Gouldsboro’s Coastal Resilience Committee uses the Gouldsboro Shore website to keep residents and others up-to-date on activities and events related to the town’s more than 50 miles of marine shoreline. The town’s waterfront makes it what it is. Gouldsboro Shore publishes news about how the shore is changing and what the town is doing to keep it resilient and productive.

Bill Zoellick, who chairs the Coastal Resilience Committee and volunteers as manager for some of the town’s projects, manages this website. You can contact Bill if you have suggestions or ideas to share.

Focus Areas

Gouldsboro Shore focuses on three areas as the town responds to change along its coast.

  • Restoring the Productivity and Health of Gouldsboro’s Mudflats. The Gulf of Maine’s warming waters, coupled with milder winters, change the ecological balance along Gouldsboro’s shore. The changes are evident to Gouldsboro’s shellfish harvesters, who are witnessing a dramatic explosion of the green crab population that threatens the survival of softshell clams. Gouldsboro’s shellfish committee and its Shellfish Resilience Lab have emerged as leaders in developing ways to adapt to these changes and develop new approaches to this important community fishery.
  • Preserving Shore Access. Gouldsboro and other coastal communities are experiencing a real estate boom as people discover that they can work from home and improve the quality of their lives when they move here. This influx of new ideas and energy has many positive aspects. However, it also has the potential to disrupt long-standing, informal arrangements that have given clam harvesters and others access to the shore. Gouldsboro is working on several projects aimed at preserving on-foot access to the shore.
  • Anticipating and Addressing Risks to Shore Infrastructure. Storms are becoming more frequent and more intense. At the same time, the sea level is rising. These changes increase the risk of frequent damage to roads, wharves, launch ramps, and other coastal infrastructure. Gouldsboro has been actively involved in numerous projects over the past few years to anticipate problems, respond to rapid changes in the Gulf of Maine, and build a climate-resilient waterfront.